Counseling and resident hall directors fire up womens chats

Sex, non-committal make outs and how to be happy as a single person are among the topics Trevecca women have a chance to ask questions about on a regular basis this year.

Fireside Chats, a new program this year, was designed to give female students a safe place to get advice and ask questions about relationship issues they face as college students.

Designed by Amanda Daly, director of Counseling Services, and women’s RD’s, the series focuses on issues that Daly and the RD’s hear the most about from young women on campus.

The four sessions have covered the topics: healthy relationships, non-committal make-outs, being single and the most popular: a question and answer session about sex.

“The topics were just sparked from our past experiences as women, working with young women and the questions that students have asked us,” said Kayleigh Hofer, resident director of Tennessee Hall.

An average of 50 girls attended each chat, except for the question and answer about sex, where over 80 girls showed up.

“I enjoyed the chat because it’s the only place where women on campus can come together with their counselors and RD’s and just talk about important things like this,” said Amanda Crummer, a resident assistant of Johnson hall.

For the sex question and answer, which was the last chat of the year, each RD put up a question box on every floor of each of the resident halls, then at the chat they answered questions including: What does a healthy sex life look like, what happens when you go to the gynecologist and what is an orgasm?

Though the girls giggled at some of the lingo used to describe sex, and parts of the anatomy, many said they are thankful something like the fireside chats was happening on campus.

Daly is thankful students are attending the chats and asking good questions.

“We’re doing these chats because we care, and we feel called to be here to help you, and answer the hard questions,” Daly said to the girls as they began to wrap up the Q & A about sex chat.

Daly said she and the resident directors received a lot of feedback from the young women who come to the chats.

“Some girls wish they would have been focused more from a Biblical view, some said it was too general, and some are just glad it’s happening at all,” Daly said.

The resident directors and Daly are brainstorming ideas for next year. They hope to have three to four chats a semester in the future.

“We would love feedback and ideas from the women on campus so they can make the chats as relevant as possible,” Daly said.